Broadway theaters closed on March 12 as New York City enacted rules to promote social distancing and slow the spread of Covid-19, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a show. The NYC theater community has responded with initiatives and online shows to help support its members and entertain audiences via the internet while we’re staying away from crowds.

We’ve put together a sampling of streaming performances you can watch from your laptop or phone:

Broadway HD 
Starting in 2015, this online service began offering HD versions of classic and recent Broadway plays and musicals. You can try it out for free (with a one-week trial) or buy a subscription (from $9 a month) to watch some of your favorite shows. You can see stars like Katherine Hepburn in 1973’s televised version of The Glass Menagerie as well as musical hits like Kinky Boots, An American in Paris and Cats.

Stars in the House 
Broadway actor, director and writer (and radio host) Seth Rudetsky and his husband, producer James Wesley, host two shows a day from their house on YouTube. The hourlong shows, which air live at 2pm and 8pm (the usual Broadway start times), raise money for the Actors Fund, helping to provide emergency relief for those unemployed in the theater community.

Living Room Concerts 
Broadwayworld.com has started posting daily concert videos from an array of performers, mainly those whose shows were running before the recent closure of Broadway. They’re posting a new video every day—stars featured include Carolee Carmello (Hello, Dolly!), Kathryn Gallagher (Jagged Little Pill) and teenager Andrew Barth Feldman, the former lead in Dear Evan Hansen.

Marie’s Crisis Virtual Piano Bar
This West Village bar, known for sing-alongs to Broadway show tunes, has taken the experience online. They’re streaming two main sets of songs each evening, usually starting at 4pm, with different pianists tickling the ivories. To watch, join their Facebook group and tune in to “Sing out, Louise” (in the comfort of your own living room). You can also tip the piano players via Venmo or PayPal, with details during each performance.

Download recent shows, like the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, on Amazon  
Many recent shows are available to rent or buy on Amazon and other online streamers, usually in the range of $3–12. Highlights include Rent, taped just before it ended its Broadway run; 2013’s Carousel, via Live from Lincoln Center; 2010 Tony Award winner Memphis; and the original Broadway production of Into the Woods, starring Bernadette Peters.

Virtual Hal Prince Exhibit at Lincoln Center 
In December 2019, the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts opened an exhibit on the late Harold Prince, the legendary Broadway producer behind megahits like The Phantom of the Opera and Sweeney Todd. While the library is closed, you can take a virtual walk-through and 30-minute guided tour of the gallery with Doug Reside, the show’s curator.

Broadway Dreams Live Lessons 
The Broadway Dreams Foundation is hosting free daily lessons, led by some accomplished Broadway-caliber talent, for aspiring actors, singers and dancers. Their lineup has included actors from Frozen, Head Over Heels and Chicago. To watch, get the Zoom link from their Facebook page. Sessions begin at 1pm; each day’s links are posted five minutes before class begins, though the schedule is listed earlier than that.

Viral Monologues from 24 Hour Plays 
Every year, the 24 Hour Plays event presents a series of shows that are written, cast, directed and performed in one day with the involvement of talent from the NYC theater community. Now they’re doing a mini version, with online monologues, on their Instagram account. They’re performed by actors like Denis O’Hare and penned by playwrights like David Lindsay-Abaire.

Groove to disco versions of Stephen Sondheim songs
Broadway Records just released the digital version of Losing My Mind, a compilation of Sondheim songs with a dance beat. Conceived by Broadway performer Joshua Hinck and arranger Scott Wasserman, the 12-song album is an expanded version of a popular concert they put on in 2018. The album features singers like Alison Luff (Waitress) and Chip Zien (from the original Into the Woods). You can preview a track, “Unworthy of Your Love,” from Passion; hear the collection on Spotify; or order a copy from the Broadway Records site.

Broadway Backwards 2020 Encore 
Broadway Cares, which produces number of annual AIDS fundraisers, has put together a special encore series of recent star-studded performances from Broadway Backwards, at which performers belt out famous show tunes with gender-swapped roles. They’re also asking viewers to support an emergency fundraiser for actors affected by the Covid-19 crisis—you can make a donation at broadwaycares.org.

Watch Broadway classics like Cabaret for free on YouTube 
These days you may be wondering, “What good is sitting alone in your room?” You can get a very direct answer on YouTube by watching the 1993 version of Cabaret, featuring Alan Cumming in his breakout role. Other star turns worth checking out for free are Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in American Playhouse‘s 1986 broadcast of Sunday in the Park with George;  Carol Burnett in 1964’s Once Upon A Mattress; Nell Carter in a 1982 broadcast of Ain’t Misbehavin’; Lauren Bacall in 1973’s Applause; Gregory and Maurice Hines in 1980’s Eubie!; and Ethel Merman and Frank Sinatra in 1954’s Anything Goes.

Jason Alexander sings on Twitter 
While most people know Jason Alexander as George from Seinfeld, he got his big break on Broadway in a Stephen Sondheim musical (Merrily We Roll Along). He recently went on Twitter to sing a song from the show that got him interested in theater, Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin. The beautiful ballad, “With You,” has a message of love and support we can all use today.

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NYC-Arts Top Five Picks: September 18 – 24 | NYC-ARTS

Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top events include the New York Film Festival 2020, BUnidos Por la Cultura, Sue Coe: It Can Happen Here and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.

Sue Coe: It Can Happen Here

Galerie St. Etienne

Manhattan / Tue, Sep 15, 2020 – Wed, Dec 30, 2020

For decades, British-American artist Sue Coe has dedicated herself to shedding light on injustice, calling attention to a wide range of political, socioeconomic, animal and environmental cruelties. Since the 2016 presidential election, the self-described artist-activist has relentlessly questioned the Trump administration’s abundant threats to democracy, public health and freedom in the United States.On view beginning Tuesday, September 15 with a dedicated companion website, Sue Coe: It Can Happen Here, features paintings, drawings, lithographs, woodcuts and linocuts …

BUnidos Por La Cultura

Ballet Hispanico

Manhattan / Tue, Sep 15, 2020 – Thu, Oct 15, 2020

Join Ballet Hispánico as it celebrates Latinx cultures in a free virtual celebration of culture for Hispanic Heritage Month during its 50th Anniversary with #BUnidos Por La Cultura, a month-long series celebrating the legacy, representation and impact of Latinx arts and culture, kicking off on September 15 with interactive programming from September 21 through October 15, 2020 on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and ballethispanico.org.Each weekday from September 21 to October 15, thousands of viewers will experience this programming:Orgullo Latino Mondays @ 3:00pm EST – Hispanic leaders and influencers will …

New York Film Festival 2020

Film Society of Lincoln Center

Manhattan / Thu, Sep 17, 2020 – Sun, Oct 11, 2020

With public health concerns in mind, the 58th edition of the revered film festival will take place virtually, as well as outside at drive-in screenings in Brooklyn and Queens. This year, the festival’s diverse offerings are split into five redesigned sections: the central “Main Slate” of features, alongside “Currents,” “Spotlight,” “Revivals,” and a slate of conversations with filmmakers. Steve McQueen’s latest film, “Lovers Rock” (2020), is among the most anticipated on the docket.NYFF58 Schedule: Drive-Ins and …

Luchita Hurtado: Together Forever

Hauser & Wirth

Manhattan / Thu, Sep 10, 2020 – Sat, Oct 31, 2020

Luchita Hurtado (1920 – 2020) documented the interconnectedness of human beings, nature, and terrestrial life through a diverse body of work and a practice that spanned more than eighty years. It was with great sadness that Hauser & Wirth recently announced the artist’s death at the age of 99. Organized in close collaboration with Hurtado earlier this year, the intimate exhibition, ‘Luchita Hurtado. Together Forever’, will open at Hauser & Wirth New York on 10 …

Studio 5 | Great American Ballerinas

New York City Ballet

Manhattan / Wed, Sep 16, 2020 – Wed, Sep 30, 2020

Tiler Peck with Stephanie Saland is on demand through Tue Sep 22. Watch New York City Ballet (NYCB) principal dancer Tiler Peck as she rehearses the “green” solo from Jerome Robbins’s 1969 classic piano ballet “Dances at a Gathering” while being coached by former NYCB principal dancer Stephanie Saland in City Center’s five-part Studio 5 | Great American Ballerinas series. Find out what stories and advice Saland will share from her own experience of working extensively with Robbins …